Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Brewed by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vorchdorf, Austria

Pours a gorgeous dark amber with a little white head. The aroma is sweet malty and then BAM, alcohol. taste is intriguing but great. It starts with apples and pears and then the alcohol takes over but the finish is back with pears. The alcohol warms nicely and makes for a fantastic fall brew. This could probably sit in the cellar for another year though to mellow out a bit. The drinkablity is hurt by the alcohol content, but it is definitely worth trying. A very tasty and interesting brew

A little bit like drinking syrup but for some reason I just love this one. You can definitely taste the alcohol and see the film left on the glass. Aroma leaves a little bit to be desired. No head. Heavy duty. Needs to be sipped slowly.

2004 bottle. Chestnut brown with a small creamy white head. Aroma of ripe apples, brown sugar, plums, and vanilla. Flavor is bursting with sweet dark fruits, chocolate, toffee, and I detected a hint of tobacco as well. Alcohol is tremendously well masked, it’s detectable, but mellows a lot as the brew warms. Earthy, almost scotch-like finish. A beautiful beer.

I was rather intrigued by this beer when I bought it. After reading the label and various reviews, there seems to be an air of "aging" that surrounds this beer. Yet, it doesn’t say it’s bottle conditioned and it looks cleanly filtered to me. Anyway, mine’s bottled in 2005. Smells wonderfully sweet and alcoholic, moreso actually while the beer is still cold. Aromas are absolutely thick with molasses and brown sugar and some raisins. Taste is fairly similar, and there’s some butterscotch as it warms. The beer may be cloying in the finish, but it fits the flavors well, and there’s a nice dryness in the throat. Tastes kinda like mesquite charcoal, mixed in with lingering sweet flavors. As the beer warms, it gets pretty hot, and there’s more butterscotch to the aroma. I don’t know how this is a doppelbock but oh well. Excellent beer in my opinion. I love them sweet and syrupy. Right up there with Avery’s Samael and DFH’s Raison d’ Extra.

I had the 2001 which was a Deep clear mahogony poor, but a microscopic head. There is a distinct alcohol smell and I also smelled cherries and worscheschire. I suppose depending on your childhood experience this could smell like...and taste like cough syrup. Very smooth and heavy palate. It is like a meal though with all the flavors and the heavy mouth feel. The alcohol was not well masked, but I rather enjoyed it’s bold and even brazen presence. Very sweet, a lot like the liquour "Chambord". I would actually prefer this to a glass of wine. A good after dinner beer.

Wow! Vanilla sweet toffee scented beer,really beautiful sherry colour and unmistakable alcohol taste.At 14% you kind hide the alcohol, but it doesnt spoil it.Great sweet beer,every mouthful is as strong and flavourful as the last.Im drinking this from its own glass and I feel proud to do so,wonderful!! ( No fun for the wife tonight though! Lol! )

12 oz bottle from Plaza Liquors. Shared with my neighbor. Wow, 14%, yet so smooth. Pours a deep thick mahogany with nice head. Smells of sweet esters and some alcohol. Very chewy, very viscous. Flavor is sweet malt and some biscuit. Very nice beer.

Yearly sampling of this beer with my good friend Terry...

2002 -- 11.2 oz bottle. Clear, dark amber brown color. No head or crown of any kind. No visible carbonation. Aroma is well aged malt, candied fruits, and port-like. Flavor is sweet, deep maltiness, and dark fruits (also a bit like port). There also seems to be a hint of butterscotch deeply hidden in the flavor. The alcohol is well integrated into the overall flavor of the beer. Warming, sweet, malty finish. The alcohol is almost competely masked. Medium to full body. Smooth and creamy on the palate. Overall this is a complex beer and has aged very well.

2004 -- 11.2 oz bottle. Clear, ruby amber color. There is a thin beige crown after the initial pour, but it settles out quickly. The aroma is a blend of sweet caramel malt and aged Calvados. Richer, deeper caramelized malt flavor with a bit more alcohol burn than the 2002. There is also a hint of vanilla/oak woodiness. It reminds me of a sweet bourbon in some ways. The finish goes from sweet, to dry, to sugary sweet again. Medium body, slightly sticky and syrupy on the palate. Overall this beer has also aged well and I think I like it just a hair more than the 2002. It just seems to have a touch less sweetness and greater fine spirit (bourbon/whiskey/cognac) complexity.